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Pennsylvania's early work highlighted as model to impact low-income children

Erie County partnership impacts high-quality early childhood education access 

Public review for proposed IDEA grant application--deadline March 17
Nominations for 2013 Early Intervention Leadership Award for Excellence--deadline February 11
It's not too early to promote Kindergarten registration!
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IDEAPublic review invited for proposed IDEA grant application
Deadline March 17

The Department of Public Welfare, Department of Education, and the Office of Child Development and Early Learning are inviting public review and comment on the state's proposed grant application for Federal Fiscal Year 2014 under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Pub. L. No 108-446) as amended in 2004. 
 
Anyone who would like to review the proposed grant application can find the document at the PA Department of Public Welfare website or the PA Department of Education website. Hard copies may also be requested by emailing [email protected] or by calling 717-346-9320.

Written comments regarding the proposed grant application can be directed to Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Early Intervention Services, ATTN: Public Comments for Part C Grant Application 2014, 333 Market Street, 6th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333 or [email protected]

If you need an accommodation or assistance to review the proposed grant application or to submit comments, please contact [email protected] or by calling 717-346-9320. Comments will be accepted through March 17, 2014. All comments will be reviewed and considered by the Department before submitting the final grant application.  
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EILeadershipNominate now for the 2013 Early Intervention Leadership Award for Excellence
Deadline February 11

The State Interagency Coordinating Council for Early Intervention is looking for nominations for the 2013 Early Intervention Leadership Award For Excellence in Service to Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families.
  
Nominations are open to any individual who has a significant impact on early intervention public policy development, early intervention practices or staff development such as: parents, providers of early intervention services, higher education personnel, public policy makers, philanthropists, and others dedicated to early intervention.

For more information, please see the 2013 Early Intervention Leadership Award for Excellence article.    
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Immunization Records Recommendation

The Pennsylvania Department of Health recently released immunization record recommendations for early learning providers. 

Even though the child health information regulation requires a parent to provide an updated health report at least every six months, the Pennsylvania Department of Health is strongly suggesting that early learning providers ask their families to provide an updated immunization report each time the child receives an immunization.  

For more information about immunizations, including where families can receive immunizations at no cost, please visit the PA Department of Health website
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Vendors invited to participate in Children & Youth Disability and Mental Health Summit
Application deadline January 31

Organizations are invited to participate in the State Representative Dan Miller's Children & Youth Disability and Mental Health Summit to be held on March 5 in Pittsburgh. Families, children and professionals are invited to the Summit, where individuals and families new to a diagnosis can collect information and connect the dots on how the system works, and attend sessions throughout the day on a variety of hot button topics in the field. 

The summit is free and open to the public and will feature resources and presenters from state, county and local agencies, as well as advocacy and support groups. Information sessions will run the spectrum from public safety, advocacy and school transitions, to employment, independent living, and adult transition.

Vendor application deadline is January 31. For more information, please see the application
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Have you participated in the BUILD ECE News Survey?
Deadline February 28

There's still time to participate in the BUILD ECE News Survey and tell us what you think! As a recipient of the bi-weekly BUILD ECE News, your thoughts are important. Now it's time to share them! Take a quick, ten-question survey and tell us what you think about BUILD ECE News. Your feedback will help determine how we can better serve you though BUILD. Click to take the survey!   
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PAPKCReport includes Pennsylvania's Pre-K Counts as a promising model in focusing on low-income children

Pennsylvania's Pre-K Counts program was included as one early learning program with a promising model in a report, Time to Act: Investing in the Health of Our Children and Communities, issued by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation's Commission to Build A Healthier America. The report highlights the ways in which external factors such as the environment, poverty, and access to education affect individual health. PA Pre-K Counts received notice for building on the work of the Pre-K Counts Public-Private Partnership for Educational Success, and the early results from the Pre-K Counts public-private initiative that children's early learning improved while in the program.

The report calls for a realignment of national health funding priorities, including a greater focus on increasing access to early childhood development programs and stepped-up efforts to revitalize low-income communities.

For additional information, please see Time to Act: Investing in the Health of Our Children and Communities, or see more information about PA Pre-K Counts.
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erieErie's Future Fund highlighted in National Ready2Go database

Erie's Future Fund, a new partnership between local non-profits and business leaders to provide high-quality early childhood education scholarships to low-income families within Erie County, has been included in a recent launch of Ready2Go, a collection of national, state and local early childhood initiatives with significant business involvement. While many business leaders are passionate advocates for policy change, some also want to tackle hands-on projects that show immediate results. Ready2Go provides diverse examples of early childhood projects that suit a variety of circumstances and preferences for business.

Projects range from small and locally developed, to "turn-key" examples with well-established guidelines and outcomes data. Ready2Go is searchable by geographic area and topic, and includes a point of contact for each project included. Ready2Go inspires executives to act and makes it easier for them to do by sharing the great work of their colleagues.

Businesses, national organizations, and local leaders to are encouraged to submit their projects and strategies for business engagement to Ready2Go. Projects will be highlighted on the ReadyNation homepage and in other venues. For more information, see the Ready2Go website.
  
  
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KregistrationLet's talk Kindergarten Registration. Many schools throughout Pennsylvania are hosting Kindergarten Registration events. Early Kindergarten registration can help ensure a child and family are well prepared for the transition to Kindergarten. Find resources to help children successfully transition and Kindergarten Registration events (just search for your county) on the PA's Promise for Children website. Have an event to submit? Email it to Mary Hall at [email protected].

 

Bi-weekly messages to help promote quality early learning. Help the families you reach access information and resources about quality early learning through the Bi-Weekly Messages for Families. These brief 250-word or less messages are perfect to use in your newsletters, on your website, or in your social media outlets.

 

ECELS Winter 2014 Health Link Online: The ECELS Winter 2014 Health Link Online edition features information on Heating, Ventilation and Humidity; Affordable Health Care; Colds, Coughs and Runny Noses; Wellness Teaching Tools - Free Online; Violence Prevention; Food Allergies and Asthma; Influenza Vaccine - A Smart Choice; and Libby Ungvary - ECELS Staff Member for 20 years.

 

Video: Early Childhood Intervention: The Power of Family. This free video from the Open Society Foundations highlights the benefits of early childhood intervention to children of diverse abilities and their families. 

 

Podcast to help increase family involvement. A ten minute podcast, How Do We Increase Involvement Among Parents Who Are Already Overwhelmed? by Larry Ferlazzo with Darcy Hutchins and Mai Xi Lee addresses how we can achieve more involvement from a group of parents who are already stretched to their limits.

 

New Free Early Learning Apps for Android. The Fred Rogers Center has two brand new free apps for Android smartphones! Nina and Peanut: Make The Animal Sounds is an interactive storybook that can help young children develop English and Spanish vocabulary. Museum Mix Up is a game for children ages four and older, and their caregivers, to play together to re-create and discover great works of art.

 

Video: Sharing the Joy of Reading With Toddlers. A new Power of Moms' video provides simple techniques to make reading time more effective and enjoyable with the birth to three crowd.

January 22, 2014
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Libraries throughout Pennsylvania offer free and fun early learning activities for babies, toddlers, pre-kindergartners and kindergartners.
 
Search by your county to find activities in your community.
 
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Email information to Mary Hall, [email protected].

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The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) promotes opportunities for all Pennsylvania children and families by building systems and providing supports that help ensure access to high quality child and family services.

Find more about Quality Early Learning in Pennsylvania
 
The Early Childhood Education e-news is a project of the Pennsylvania Build Initiative and the Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Public Welfare to inform early learning professionals, the early childhood community, policymakers, community leaders and the public on developments in early childhood education and care in Pennsylvania.

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You may access archived copies at Pennsylvania's Promise for Children.
 

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